Lessons From Oedometer Tests on High Quality Samples

A well planned and carefully executed program of oedometer tests on high quality undisturbed samples is shown to provide considerable practical information about the soil properties of a natural, very stiff clay deposit. The effects of sample disturbance and type of oedometer on the preconsolidation stress are shown. A special long‐term oedometer test verified earlier results that K0 is practically constant during secondary compression. Destructuration due to a single unload‐reload cycle caused a significant decrease in the coefficient of secondary compression. The practical implications of these test results are also examined.